It's not fair

How do you define fair? This question has been behind numerous headlines recently from sport through to politics. I have found myself digging deeper to understand exactly how I feel over the proposed changes to disability benefit, the incoming sugar tax and in sport the continuous debate over equal prize money. The aforementioned issues do not affect me directly and initially I was certain as to which side of the fence I sat, that is until hearing the convincing counter arguments.

The introduction of the sugar tax has been the only debate that has not once caused me to question my initial instinct. It has infuriated me listening to the soft drink companies complaining about the injustice of a tax increase, fighting the Government’s decision to the bitter end. I find it sad that they do not care for the health of our young people and am baffled that they ignore the worrying statistics of obesity due to sugary soft drinks. The sugar tax is only a small step but it is at least one in the right direction.

The prize money in sport debate has been revisited as a result of some strong opinions from within the sport of tennis; Indian Wells (now former) CEO inferred that the women’s game would be nowhere today without the male stars such as Federer and Nadal. World number one Novak Djokovic added spice to the topic by questioning the fairness of equal prize money. There are so many pieces to this jigsaw which sadly I do not have space to address. The women’s game is continually growing in participation numbers and popularity, however the elephant in the room remains – in a grand slam they only play three sets compared to the men’s five. I will leave you to ponder that one. I am just glad that my sport of Modern Pentathlon appears, on the surface at least, to be equal.

Two wheels to four legs

In the weeks prior to flying out to Brazil the UK press were continually debating the dangers of the mosquito-born Zika virus. All GB athletes heading out for test events or pre Olympic training have been given comprehensive instructions to cover up and religiously use repellent. I arrived slightly concerned about this risk and naively expected to see immediate warnings or evidence or this disease.

Speaking to locals it is certainly something they are aware of, and naturally concerned about, yet in their opinion it seems to pose a much lower a risk than our press have lead us to believe. I spoke to several Brazilians and most of them were not even aware of any friends or relatives who had experienced the virus. In their view Dengue fever is still equally dangerous, the only difference being the danger of Zika for pregnant women. Despite my religious use of repellent I frustratingly came home with a handful of bites, I now have to wait for the incubation time to pass and hope I am safe.

Last week saw one of the largest meetings in national hunt racing calendar which culminated in Gold Cup day. The Cheltenham festival saw a record number of cameras and journalists attend the final day; largely thanks to an Olympic cyclist. The headlines were stolen by Victoria Pendleton who after less than a year of riding managed to complete the Foxhunter race and finish a respectable fifth. She proved her critics wrong and with it has brought new fans and followers to the world of horse racing. I can understand the cross over from cycling to riding, the equal need for strong leg and back muscles, a stable core and some serious guts. I know this from the reverse experience when I moved from horse riding to cycling. Sadly though, I think I might have left it a little late in my career to reach the top of the two wheeled sport.